Quality characteristics of beef depending on its marbling

Marbling of muscles is a valuable feature of individual cuts of cattle carcasses, but in Ukrainian breeds it remains unexplored how the content of intramuscular fat correlates with the chemical composition, carcass characteristics, and meat processability indicators important for industrial processing and production of meat products. The purpose of the study was to establish the dependence of slaughter characteristics, chemical composition, physical and technological, and sensory properties of beef on its marbling. The marbling of muscle tissue, the content of total fat and ash mass, moisture, protein, acidity (pH), and penetration were evaluated in 34 carcasses of 18-24-month-old bulls of the “Zhuravushka” farming enterprise (FE), Brovary District, Kyiv Oblast. The aroma, juiciness, tenderness and chewiness of the boiled meat were determined by 8 tasters, focusing on colour, taste and strength of the broth. The data obtained indicate that when the marbling class improved, the content of muscle tissue in the carcass was increased by 3.0 (p > 0.99) points, and bones by 2.0 points (p > 0.95). There was a tendency to increase the second grade pulp by 1.4 points, fat tissue by 1.5 points, tendons and ligaments by 0.1 points, and to improve the conformation (meatiness) of carcasses by 6.1%, the colour of muscle (by 1.9%) and fat tissue (by 2.1%). By increasing the marbling of beef, there is a tendency to reduce the muscle tissue of the highest (by 0.9 points) and first grades (by 0.2 points), water binding capacity (by 0.7 points), boiling (by 1.1), dry matter (by 2.1 points), protein (by 1.8 points) total fat content (by 0.6 points), penetration (by 19.8%), meat tenderness (by 3.1%), its residue after chewing (by 6.7%), taste (by 6.9%), acidity (by 2.1%). The practical significance of the study lies in the possibility of using the data obtained to sort the carcasses of Ukrainian Black-and-White dairy bulls according to their intended purpose, considering the relationship between marbling of beef and slaughter indicators, chemical and physical, technological properties, sensory characteristics of cooked meat and broth from it